Bought and Brought!!

[GTP owner]

Originally Posted by Rodp

You'd think those charged with inscribing indelible ink onto the human body would have at least a rudimentary knowledge of spelling and grammar.. but then you never know if they're just 'following orders'.

I figure hiring a nerdy proof reader to sit in the corner at 2am when an alcohol induced client stumbles in would pay off in the long run.

But if you hate grammar nazis, you would not see the point. I know a drug addled simpleton with a 5 legged dog on his back, next to a dope plant. I can't help but stifle a laugh every time i see that one. I should aks him iffun he wuld let me photo it and post it on here.

[NickyN]

Originally Posted by Dusty1

What about people now saying 'could care less' instead of 'couldn't care less'?

Our friends in America say the former, but I have always preferred the latter.

Yup, I say "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less." Everyone I know says it like me too.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by GTP owner

I know a drug addled simpleton with a 5 legged dog on his back, next to a dope plant. I can't help but stifle a laugh every time i see that one. I should aks him iffun he wuld let me photo it and post it on here.

That I'd like to see. ;)

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by NickyN

Yup, I say "I could care less" rather than "I couldn't care less." Everyone I know says it like me too.

Seems to be a US thing. I hear it on US radio all the time - "I could care less" certainly rolls off the tongue a lot better but it's opposite to what was (presumably) intended to be said.

[prydey]

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

Be like saying,
Unless your lungs arent full of lead paints or other remnants of paint, you dont know how to paint properly ???
OR
Unless your lungs arent full of toxic fumes you cant weld properly ???
OR
Unless your hands havent been effected with dermatitus or exma,or your finger nails dont have inches of oil residue you dont know what your doin mechanically ???

Really irrelevant in the big scheme

Theres countless people who arent text book trained or tafe educated in a specific field and will run rings around those who are
Mute point ...

I was schooled in a school that had lead paint around, we didnt have big air conditioners either,we walked to school or walked to the bus stop
I was educated when a clip behind the ear from a teacher for being stoopid didnt result in a law suit
We rode pushies without helmets,we played sports during and after school,oh and pinball machines
Does that make me more smarter than the new breed ...

I do things for neccesity,not because some book tells me

[prydey]

you have completely missed the point i was making. i'm not talking about text books. i'm talking novels. fiction. the act of book reading is a lot lower today than it was only 10-20 years ago, let alone 30.

i would say those who struggle with spelling/grammar/punctuation etc weren't that keen on reading as a youngster. of course that is a very broad general statement.

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

I'm sure there's some correlation. However, back when schools seemed to teach children how to spell, I was always spelling bee champion.. our teacher would throw 50 words a day at us and I don't think I got a single one of them wrong. The amount of books I read at school? 0.

Only recently I've began to read books.. typically biographies, on my iPad. I don't know what it is about books. If I attempt to read one, my eyes will scan the words and by the time I get to the bottom of the page, I won't have remembered a single word. Give me the same page on an iPad - no problem.

[MWTB]

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

I'd say definitely. As a kid I read a LOT (until I turned 15 and got a TV in my room hahaha) and could spell better in grade 4 than most of the people I went to school with in year 10 and some, even later. Some people in my classes in year 12 didn't even know words like 'obnoxious' meant.

[prydey]

i grew up without much in the way of technology. no tv. no computer (although computers weren't that big in the early 80's) and used to read all the time. loved detective type books so read Hardy boys, agatha christie, alistair mclean, tom clancy etc.

i make sure my kids read a lot too.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

No question, reading helps you understand context without necessarily knowing why.

[JC]

Originally Posted by prydey

i grew up without much in the way of technology. no tv. no computer (although computers weren't that big in the early 80's) and used to read all the time. loved detective type books so read Hardy boys, agatha christie, alistair mclean, tom clancy etc.

i make sure my kids read a lot too.

Sounds like we had a similar childhood - no TV, plenty of outside play, monopoly when it rained, and reading books for fun.

302XC - it's moot point, not mute (moot meaning of little value, mute meaning unable to speak). But then this perhaps is a moot part of this post because I still understood what you meant.

[Kable72]

Thing is, people don't want to learn English. They think that just because they can speak it fluently they don't need to learn it. Kind of pathetic.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by prydey

you have completely missed the point i was making. i'm not talking about text books. i'm talking novels. fiction. the act of book reading is a lot lower today than it was only 10-20 years ago, let alone 30.

i would say those who struggle with spelling/grammar/punctuation etc weren't that keen on reading as a youngster. of course that is a very broad general statement.

I used to read almost anything lying around...then again I also was a big fan of The Goons and later Monty Python.

One sort've cancelled out the other

[Dave_Obsession]

Seriously though, I have to admit to being a bit of a grammar nazi myself...it's sometimes quite frustrating having to decipher somebody else's shorthand, when surely it wouldn't have taken the OP that much longer to type the whole word?

[Kable72]

Seriously though, I have to admit to being a bit of a grammar nazi myself... It's sometimes quite frustrating having to decipher somebody else's shorthand No comma required when surely it wouldn't have taken the OP that much longer to type the whole word?

Couldn't resist mate :P

[Ducati888]

There seems to be an irresistible urge for some people to use an apostrophe in every single word ending in 's' as well, on this forum, from time to time.

If you don't know how to use an apostrophe, or know the difference between possessive and plural, then if you don't use them at all you will be correct more often than if you do.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by prydey

i make sure my kids read a lot too.

I have a two year old who loves books. He brings me at least 5 a night to read to him, then another 5 to my wife to read and then wants to swap the books each parent has already read him to read again.

He will then sit there and open a book and read to himself in toddler babble.

[Kable72]

Keep his interest in books, Rapid. Books are one of the easiest ways to expand and strengthen a childs mind. When he is old enough to understand slightly more complex stories, give him some fantasy, crime, horror and throw in a biography of one of his favourite sport/movie/music stars.

[zilo]

There is many jelly beans in the jar.

There are many jelly beans in the jar.

There is many ways we can do the job.

There are many ways we can do the job.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by prydey

i wonder if there is any correlation between the amount of books you read as a child/teen and how good your english/grammar/spelling is etc.

Readers are leaders.

[SM1DY]

The bought v brought debacle did annoy me, that was until the new bloke at work arrived and now I just find it funny.

He says

Brought instead of bought
and
Brang instead of brought

He also says seen instead of saw e.g. I seen it with me (my) own two eyes

[MercurySilver]

your and you're

i mean how hard is it?
grade 5 stuff

[flappist]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

your and you're

i mean how hard is it?
grade 5 stuff

In which grades are the concepts of punctuation and capitalisation taught?

[BF-2K7]

I have a work associate that is an immigrant from Europe.

He is having some difficulty with the English language and has stated its one of the hardest to learn.

He speaks several other languages fluently, however, there are some small words that trip him up.

1/ Saw (noun/adj/verb) all for one little word (pains him no end)

2/ There, their & they're all sound the same to him

3/ Bought & brought I explained to him, and he got it!

I can see his frustration as English is his 4th (or 5th language) but it should be 'childs play' for anyone as their FIRST language

Decades ago (when I was schooled) formal english was compulsory, with exams every week!

Books were there to be read, book revues were compulsory and marked by teachers, so they knew we had read AND understood the contents.

What has happened to the education system now?

In recent years since laptops and other mutli-media devices had crept into the classroom, there has been no need for students to exercise their brains, due to spell checking and other 'apps' that numb the brain by taking away the process of thought.

Bring back REAL teaching with REAL teachers!

[GREGL]

I have just stumbled across this thread and the timing is perfect. Just today I met a person who most likely would annoy the hell out of some of the people on here. Apparently he has 15 years experience in his game (drilling in the mines) and because his tickets are now out of date he has returned to Brisbane to renew. He showed me the forms he has to fill in , all to be answered in writing, no actual hands on practical testing. These were his actual words " I became a driller because I am no good with writing and all that crap whats all this bull...t ".
Now I don't know this fella very well , but on face value he seems honest. Makes me wonder is the bar being set too high nowadays ? There was always a % of kids at school that were not interested in learning maths etc. but put them in manual arts and they were the best.
School after the initial years of english , maths and science used to be about recognising a individuals strong suit , and focusing on that . Not everyone is cut out for and it doen't matter how hard they try a Phd . Good on you if you had the ability (or had a teacher that cared enuogh ) to master english grammar your a legend , but give the rest of the population the benifit of the doubt . They might even be as intelligent as you.
While I'm at it I will say that IMHO commonsense beats grammar EVERY time!

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Another common one is 'TACO' when talking about a tachometer in a car

A taco is a popular mexican dish.

A tacho is short for tachometer.

[Ben73]

I was working with a guy last year who would change between bought and brought each sentence.
He bought his car from one guy, he then brought some offroad wheels from someone else.

The Internet used to be obssessed with correcting there, their and they're.
Lately it's been your and you're.
Next I think it will be then and than.

[mik]

just stumbled across this one my self, i was a pretty decent speller in school, (gee i hope i get this sentence right ), i notice in my old age making more mistakes, even on some occasions getting letters jumbled like dyslexia, even leaving words out, then later reading it, and oh bugger, it looks like a 10 year old did it, thank god for spell checker.
old age sucks.

[DaveD]

Or, Through and threw! e.g. I threw the ball through the window. Why are they pronounced the same way?